Michel Barnier
Member of the European Commission
Commissioner for Regional Policy
200,rue de la Loi. B-1049
Brussels
Belgium

SUBJECT: Reconstruction, Development and Extension of Sofia Airport

Dear Mr. Barnier,

We would like to thank you for your answer to our first letter dated July 15, 2002, concerning the Reconstruction, Development and Extension of Sofia Airport Project. We fully agree that in all project developments a balance has to be struck between the need to improve airport infrastructure and the potential effects on the local environment and population. In our view, the improvement of mobility and the encouragement of the economic development are not under question. However, large infrastructure projects should be implemented in a way that they comply with environmental and health standards, which is not the case with the Sofia Airport.

Za Zemiata took your advice on continuing the efforts through the existing channels to ensure that our concerns regarding the project are taken into account. We feel obliged to ask you to pay attention to our concerns and to answer the questions below:
1. Which documents did the EC receive from the Bulgarian authorities? Are the two ten- page non-technical summaries of the EIA report that you received enough to comply with the EU Directive on the EIA?
2. Was a full screening of the EIA report conducted that proves their compliance with the environmental standards of EU legislation. Can the results from the screening be available to all interested parties - local people, NGOs, municipalities, etc.?
3. We would like the Commission to reconsider its position about supporting the development of a project, which is not going to benefit the Bulgarian population.
4. We would like the Commission to reconsider its position about investing in the Sofia Airport Project until the project fully meets environmental standards and includes the concerns of local people. We would be happy to provide you with all of the documentation from the public hearing that includes the different standpoints of all interested parties. Unfortunately, their concerns were not incorporated in any stage of the project development or implementation.

Please, find attached in the Annex below a description of the issues and the shortcomings related to the project that, in our view, should be properly addressed and solved during the project development and implementation.

Sincerely yours,

Keti Medarova
/Za Zemiata/CEE Bankwatch Network/

Anelia Stefanova
/Za Zemiata/CEE Bankwatch Network/

Petko Kovachev
/CEIE/CEE Bankwatch Network/

Andrei Kovachev
BALKANI Wildlife

Ivona Malbasic
ETK/CEE Bankwatch Network Hungary